Project complete with some Christmas thrown in

I posted this picture on March 8.  It was the beginning of our bedroom/bathroom remodel.   

Nine months later it is done.  Completely.  Finally.  The blinds and closet organization were installed last week.  

In anticipation of watching the musical at our downtown theater, John and I watch the movie "Holiday Inn" one evening.  Nothing puts you in a more Christmasy mood than a Christmasy movie!

Got the house all decorated.

This is one of my favorite things to put out.  It's a music box that plays "Silent Night" and when my mom got it out every year, I thought it was the most beautiful thing ever.  She gave it to me a couple of years ago.

The clay nativity sets my kids made in school are a favorite too.  This one is Sam's.   They all like to argue over whose is the best.  I love them all.  I'm not sure I'm going to be able to let them take them for their own homes someday.  

And of course, nothing says Christmas like a skeleton dressed in pajamas!

My outside planters.

We all watched Lynden's lighted parade last weekend.

We've been gathering in front of Gary and Sally's house to watch for many, many years.  I remember getting the kids all bundled up.  We've watched in the rain, wind and snow.  This year it was actually really pleasant out.  Katie was on a float caroling with the rest of the chamber choir.

Thanks Kerri for this sweet picture.  Katie has been taking piano lessons from Sue for many years.  She is so patient and encouraging with my girl.  Katie really enjoys their time together.

They are working on a song Katie is going to play in church soon.

That tiime Holly brought a guy home for Thanksgiving

So...I neglected to mention in my previous post that when I went to visit Holly in Salem it was not only to help her move but also to meet a guy.  A guy special enough that she wanted me to meet him.  That special guy came home with her for Thanksgiving to meet more of the family.

Holly had a hair appointment the day after they got here so I took James for a walk.  We stopped by Andrew's place on the way home.  Had to get a selfie with one of my favorite boys.  I love having him as my neighbor!

Making homemade pizzas.  Katie asked if she could throw her dough up in the air and since she is the third child and pretty much gets away with anything, I said sure.  This was taken right before said dough ended up on the floor.

Yes, we still used it.

I was in charge of the turkey this year.  John decided he wanted to try smoking one but was slightly nervous about how it would turn out so I ended up buying two so we could have a back-up.  I cooked one in the bag per usual and John spent a lot more time brining, concocting a rub, applying the rub and spatchcocking before putting it on the smoker.  I had no idea that spatchcocking was a thing.

  All appeared to be going well until John turned up the smoker and the grease caught on fire.

There might have been a small moment of panic before James and John got the smoker off my patio and the turkey off the smoker.  It was all well worth it because his turkey was delicious!  Way better than my "normal" one.  

Thanksgiving selfie before heading to Uncle Gary and Aunt Sally's house.

Yes, James is wearing a Bear's jersey.  We are trying hard to not hold that against him.

Him and Holly ended up at the kid's table.

Helping Shyla with her gingerbread house.

Chance is always lots of fun.

Uncle John makes a great airplane.

Brad is such a good big brother.  He was concerned that his little sister was getting scared.

It was a great day.  Good food, great fellowship and so much to be thankful for.

The day after we and hiked Oyster Dome.  

Made it to the top!

After our hike we headed to Boulevard Park for coffee and a walk to Fairhaven.

And then had to head back home because John volunteered himself and James to help move the Bethlehem stable to the front of church.  Turned out, James helped move a lot of things...the smoker, the stable, my Christmas tree, and a new piano into the church basement.  Not sure how we lived without him. :)

Holly hadn't been on the new Lynden trail so we headed out for a walk on Saturday.  Ended up at Bender fields where we challenged Holly to climb a boulder.

Then back home to assemble and decorate the tree.

Such a fun weekend!

Friends, food, flying monkeys and flowers

A couple of our neighbors have been trapping crawdads in the creek.  One couple hosted a cajun crawfish boil in their creekside loft.  What a fun evening!  I don't really eat any seafood (especially when I can see its eyes) but the vedgies were good and the fellowship was sweet.

Very thankful for neighbors that have become friends!

They had lots of extra crawdads so Katie came over to try one.

The Broadway show, Wicked, is in Seattle right now and John told me I could get tickets.  We went on-line to pick out a show time and after seeing the tickets prices decided me would just go to the movie!  We figured since we saved so much money, we could go to Texas Roadhouse for supper before the show.  It was delicious!

And the movie was amazing!  Great music, cool cinematography and the flying monkeys were just as scary as I remembered them. 

I have never had dahlias this late into the year.  We have yet to have a hard frost.  I picked one more bouquet before they get cut down, dug up and stored for the winter.